A Wise Woman

Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

I am a wise woman. Really. However, consider the fact that my six year old has to take allergy medicine during the fall pollen season. The problem was, I would always forget to give it to her. Dashing around each morning getting ready for school, it never would enter my mind. No, I would remember in the car on the way to school. As we sat in the quiet of the car, I would hear her sniffles and remember. And the guilt would come. I forgot...again! And I would tear myself down for being a "bad mom."

I tried making myself notes, enlisting the help of my husband, and encouraging my six year old to help me remember. Nothing worked. And then I realized that I remembered every morning without fail in the car. Why not just keep the allergy medicine in the car? Voila! No more problem!

Sometimes we get stuck in a way of thinking, and by thinking outside the box the problem is solved. We can build ourselves and our homes up, instead of tearing them down.

Join me at Titus 2 in Action to talk about some other ways to be a wise woman!

Still the One

“We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one.”
Still the One, Orleans, 1976

We live in a multi-tasking world. Our cell phones are not only phones, but calendars, email servers, text messengers. Our televisions are also DVRS, with cable access and internet access and the ability to upload photographs for slide shows. It's not enough to just have a nook (e-reader), we now have to have the ipad, which does it all!

Our schedules are packed and over flowing with to-dos. I know that I personally must be over scheduled, because never have I been so happy to be forced to stay home all day today while the carpet installers come. Forced to stay home! YAY!

We fill our lives with stuff. We fill our time with stuff. We fill our homes with stuff. We're packed full with so many things, we may miss the one thing that is most important. Jesus said, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:41-42) He was and is the one thing.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn't mean adhering to a list of rules either. Jesus wants us to live a full life, an abundant life! I have a T-shirt that states "Believers have more fun!" It's true. Being a follower of Christ brings you joy!

Jesus is THE ONE. We're still having fun, He's still the One.

Musical Musings:
1. Is your schedule so busy that you often forgo devotional time with God?
2. Are you distracted by all the stuff in your life that making time for God is tough?
3. What changes can you make to focus on the ONE.

Karaoke: Lord, I admit it! I like stuff. I keep too busy, I buy too many things, and I don't make enough time for you. Forgive me! Help me remember that you are THE ONE thing that I need. Help me to make wise decisions and prioritize my life better. Thank you for being a God of hope, a God of love and a God of joy! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Rock on: Romans 13:11 -- But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about! (The Message)

Read the story of Mary & Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

I Want to Know What Love Is

I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me.
I wanna feel what love is, I know you can show me.
I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner, 1984

"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a 1984 power ballad recorded by the British-American rock band Foreigner. The #1 hit song is the band's most successful single, not only hitting #1 in 1985, but also charting in the top 25 in 2000, 2001 and 2002 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents chart. Obviously, people relate not only to the music of the song, but also the powerful lyrics.

The song is about vulnerability. The group sings, "In my life I've had heartache and pain, I don't know if I can face them again." Truth is, nearly everyone has experienced heartache and pain. And if you haven't yet, stop and praise God...and know that it is coming. Facing heartache is no easy task. We all want to experience and know true love. We want to know what love is.

There is One who can show us. God is love. He is true love, and unconditional love. There is an empty place in all of us, custom designed by God to be filled with only his love. We can try to get a spouse, friend, career, or hobby to fill the space. We can try to dull the empty space with alcohol or drugs.

But only the love of God can fill that space. When we have a relationship with God, through Bible reading and prayer, we can fill the emptiness with God's love.

I wanna know what love is. And because of God, I do. Do you?

Musical Musings:
1. Do you know what love is, because of God's love?
2. Do you look to your spouse or friends to fill the emptiness inside you?
3. If you have that empty place inside of you, consider praying and ask God to show you what love is, and fill you with his love.

Karaoke:
Dear God, I want to know what love is! I know you can show me, and so I humbly ask that you do show me. Help me to realize and feel your love. Help me to be overflowing with your love so that I can love others like you love me. Forgive me for my hard-heartedness. Help me to know what love is. In Jesus name, Amen.

Rock On:
Read about love in 1 John 4:7-21.

The Whole Pie

This pie chart represents me. This is what my heart looks like. Well, not to scale mind you, but I have a heart divided. In my heart I have a love for family, a love for friends, a love for God, a love for coffee.... Well you get the idea. There are lots of things on my mind and in my heart.

Sometimes I can feel very distant from God. However, knowing God like I do, I realize that if I'm feeling that distance, I must be the one who moved away. The Bible is clear, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

All my heart. Not some of my heart, part of my heart, or most of my heart. That can seem hard at times, because like most people I am pulled in so many directions daily. How can I make room for it all?

It's like that old analogy with the jar filled with rocks, then pebbles, then sand. If you put the big things in first, all the other things fit. However, if the sand goes in first, the big things don't fit.

Putting God first is the answer. When I seek him with my whole heart, somehow there is room for everything else. But if I seek the other stuff first, I can't find room for God. When I give God the whole pie, I get pie back. I like pie. Don't you?

Here is the jar analogy video. If you are reading this post via email, you may need to visit my blog at http://www.chattykelly.com/ to see the video.

The Postman

"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." This is the unofficial motto of the US Postmaster. The thought behind the motto is that no matter what, the post office delivers.

To read about how Jesus delivers, join me over at Titus 2 in Action where I am a featured contributor every other Wednesday.

I am With Child.

Now before anyone gets too excited about my title line, I better explain myself. I think the Bible was first in using the term being "with child" to describe a pregnant woman. In the NIV version of the Bible, it first uses the term in Genesis and uses it seven more times throughout the Bible to describe pregnant women.



But anyone with preschoolers knows that you are more WITH child after they are born. In the grocery store, I am with child. In the bathroom, I am with child. And even in the middle of the night, I often wake up with child...child wanting water, child needing the bathroom or child to be tucked in.



So today I thought I'd share some of the fun and funny moments of being with child - a 4 year old child.



Friday at the grocery store she saw these tiny bananas. She exclaimed "Look at these baby bananas. They must have just been born." Ironically, when I looked for the tag to tell you what they are called, they were indeed labeled Baby Bananas, but they are also called oritos.

A few aisles later, I was checking out the canned goods, with my eyes off of her for no more than 3 seconds, when I hear a loud crash of breaking glass. There she stands in front of the biggest glass jar of applesauce they make, which is shattered on the floor.


"I didn't mean to do that." she calmed stated. I simply found one of the cashiers, and I kid you not, I looked him right in the eye and said "clean up on aisle 3." He saw that I was "with child" and just turned on his microphone and announced "Clean up on aisle 3!" (I did apologize as well).

Here are some other funny quotes and mis-quotes that come from being with child:




When I told her to behave she answered "I am being hav."



Singing: "Who built the ark? No-one No-one" (the actual lyric is of course: Noah, Noah)



"I obey myself." - She just piped up with this one from the backseat one day when we were driving down the road.






"I have a little dog barking in my heart." This is another original thought she just piped out with. I have no idea why. She then said "I like little dogs."



But my favorite quote was when we were driving home from preschool one day and say said to me, "Mama, Jesus came into my room last night." I responded "He did?!" and she said "yes, and he stayed with me all night so I wouldn't be afraid of the dark."

I believe Jesus did just that. Matthew 11:25 says "At that time Jesus said, 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.' " Jesus speaks of having to be like children to get into heaven, and not hindering children from him. I believe on that night he gave comfort to my little girl.

It is never a dull moment, when you are "with child." I often think I am learning as much from her, as she is from me. But, I'm still not sure about that little dog barking in her heart.

**Today's post is a re-run from April 2008, as I am busy enjoying the last week of summer with my family. That little 4 year old is entering 1st grade next week. Thanks for understanding.**

I Want You To Want Me

“I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I’d love you to love me.”
I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick, 1977

We all have the desire to be wanted, needed and loved. It's human nature. Yet, as humans we are created in the image of God. The image of a God who wants us to want Him, Who needs us to need Him, And Who'd love us to love Him.

But God is a God of freedom, He is a God of free will. So while He wants us to want Him, He doesn't require it of us. He allows us to choose if we want to love Him.

God told Adam & Eve not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but He allowed them the free will to make their own decision. Jesus said, "IF you love me, keep my commands." (John 14:15) He allows us to choose. Joshua told his people, "choose for yourselves whom you will serve." (Joshua 24:15)

I can't imagine the God of the Universe, who is mighty and powerful, all-knowing and all controlling allowing ME to make such a huge decision! Me?!? I can't even decide what to make for dinner most of the time! Yet God loves me so much that he doesn't want to drag me into a relationship with Him, but instead He wants me to want Him. And He wants you to want Him too.

Musical Musings:
1. Do you believe in free will? Why or why not?
2. Have you made a conscience decision to love God, and because of that decision do you obey Him?
3. How do you show God you love Him in your daily life? Can others tell you love God by your actions?

Karaoke:
God, thank you for wanting me! I've done nothing to be called your child, yet all you ask is that I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in my heart that you raised him from the dead, and I will be saved. Thank you God! Thank you for wanting me and loving me. Help me to love you, serve you, and obey you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Rock On:
Joshua 24:15 says, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Think about ways your household is serving the Lord. If there are no apparent ways, why not start serving more today.